Economic Mobility

ADA Ramp

How Equitable Infrastructure Investments Benefit Everyone

A call for the country to focus its infrastructure investments to the most vulnerable and neglected populations—and watch the benefits compound.

December 21, 2016 - Stanford Social Innovation Review

San Francisco Houses

Study: Land Use Regulation Slows Economic Growth

Pro-development advocates have a new study to back up their cause.

October 21, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

Is a Meritocracy Really What We Want?

At first glance, a meritocratic vision is morally compelling, but upon closer scrutiny, its pursuit ends up legitimizing—and thus reinforcing—the very social and economic inequality it purports to rectify.

May 7, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

Lyft

Should Governments Subsidize Uber and Lyft Connections to Transit?

According to a new report from the Center for American Progress, technology network companies like Uber and Lyft offer a unique opportunity for low-income users to connect with transit routes and on to greater economic opportunities.

May 5, 2016 - Center for American Progress

On the Suburban South's Troubling Poverty

Land use and transportation planning decisions provide a framework on which other social policies have created particularly isolating and intractable poverty in the South.

January 5, 2016 - The Washington Post

Moving Forward in Ferguson with Better Transit

The Ferguson Commission report includes recommendations for combating racial inequity in the Saint Louis region with better-funded, more expansive transit access.

September 22, 2015 - Citizens for Modern Transit

Kid on Bus

The Key to Escaping Poverty: Transportation

A recent study that connected place to opportunity also includes findings about the factor most likely to influence economic success: access to transportation.

May 11, 2015 - New York Times - The Upshot

Study Finds New Evidence that Place Determines Income Mobility

A new study by Harvard economists provides the best evidence yet that where children grow up matters to the outcomes of their lives.

May 4, 2015 - New York Times

Welcome

More Evidence of the 'Neighborhood Effect'

Two recent studies find evidence of a powerful "neighborhood effect" for economic mobility—especially on the incomes of blue collar and service workers as compared to knowledge and creative workers.

January 16, 2015 - CityLab

Study Compares Job Access by Transit in 46 U.S. Metropolitan Areas

The Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota has released the Access Across America: Transit 2014 report.

October 9, 2014 - The Transportationist

Social Mobility in America: Reality or Dream?

Richard Reeves explains the factors that limit or assist social mobility for people born into the lowest economic quintile in American society.

August 21, 2014 - Brookings Institution

Explaining the Connections between Physical Mobility and Economic Mobility

A new post by Danielle Kurtzleben explains the complicated mix of infrastructure considerations that must be in place for transportation to benefit economic mobility.

July 28, 2014 - Vox

Commute

Arguing for Cars, Not Transit, as a Poverty Solution

Data show that cars are more effective than transit in providing poor people to jobs and economic opportunity. But does that mean transit systems are fundamentally inadequate or just currently inadequate?

June 6, 2014 - The Daily Beast

New Study Changes the Narrative on Slums

Researchers are building a more complete archive of life in slums, home to one-third of the urban population of developing countries. A new study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) rejects assumptions about the benefits of slums.

February 10, 2014 - The Economist

Why New York's Inequality Is a Good Thing

Though he may not find a lot of agreement among the 750,000 residents who voted for Bill de Blasio, Ed Glaeser argues that New York City's extreme inequality is a sign of its economic diversity and success, and is nothing to be ashamed about.

November 12, 2013 - New York Daily News

Size of A City's Middle Class Predicts Poor's Economic Mobility

Researchers find that among the largest 100 metro regions in the U.S. , those with a larger middle class, provide higher economic mobility.

September 6, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Class is (Most Likely) Destiny in the United States

Richard Florida reports on why America ranks second to last among first world nations for economic mobility; the Northeast remains the most mobile region of the country.

June 1, 2012 - Atlantic Cities

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.